The present invention relates generally to a method for manufacturing a temperature-maintaining material comprised of phase-change substance encapsulated in microcapsules.
A lot of electronic, electrical and mechanical devices generate heat during their operations. Often, the heat has significant influence on the devices themselves and the surroundings. With the improvement of the performance of the devices, the amount of heat generated is substantially increased. For example, some electrical motors generate a great amount of heat whereby the temperature may rise to above 100xc2x0 C. Such a high temperature cannot be-effectively cooled down by simply employing the fan or heat sink based heat dissipation techniques and may consequently cause damage to parts of the devices and leading to malfunctioning. In addition, such a high temperature may cause physical damage to operators of the devices.
A well-known example of the heat-generating devices is a notebook computer. The notebook computer comprises a heat-conductive casing and heat generated during the operation of the notebook computer is conducted to the casing from which the heat radiates into the surrounding atmosphere. Thus, the efficiency for removing heat from the computer casing is of importance in maintaining proper operation thereof. The material that makes the computer casing is critical in this respect.
Materials that change phase when subject to heat are commonly employed to maintain temperature within a desired range. The phase-change substance that is encapsulated in microcapsules is widely used in different industries. For example and as shown in FIG. 1 of the attached drawings, small particles 11 of microcapsules of phase-change substance are mixed in a concrete or gypsum board 1 or a solar energy collection panel for temperature controlling purposes.
FIG. 2 of the attached drawings shows another application of the encapsulated phase-change substance. The small particles 11 of encapsulated phase-change substance are distributed and fixed in fabric 2 for temperature controlling purposes. Clothes made of such fabrics can maintain the temperature around a wearer within a desired temperature thereby making the wearer more comfortable.
It is thus desired to combine the encapsulated phase-change substance with the conventional heat dissipation techniques for improved temperature controlling purposes.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation device made of a temperature-maintaining material comprising encapsulated phase-change substance for enhanced heat dissipation and temperature maintaining.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a temperature-maintaining material for controlling temperature of heat-generating devices, such as computers, motors and lightening devices, for extending the service lives of these devices.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a temperature-maintaining material comprising the steps of (1) selecting a phase-change substance, (2) processing the phase-change substance to form a liquid, (3) processing the phase-change substance with high molecule material to form microcapsules, (4) drying the microcapsules, (5) mixing the microcapsules with adhesive and hardening agent to form a mixture and (6) melting, cooling down and pulverizing the mixture for further processing to form a coating on an object or a substrate.